Anyone can see the chairs are in perfect condition and that leathers seats are all but gone. This type of gilt leather was originally part of a wall covering. Circa 1735 it is installed and is the proud of the house, then fashion changes and the room is redecorated, the once precious leathers are stored in the attic, where a leak in the roof …… etc etc (fiction) than somewhere around 1810 they are recovered by an amazed granddaughter some leathers are reinstalled in a hallway some turn into a screen and some find their final destiny on chairs. This is what you are looking at now, the story is fiction but the senario is good.
Time to set to work !
The pattern on the chairs is the Marot panel in a polychrome version. The Marot is a classic design we have in collection, the panel as shown here above is gilded in a light silver-gilding the birds had a coat of shellac and the panel is antiqued so to down-tone the shine.
Now its time to add antiquing to bind all colours and to down-tone the shine even more.
OMG they have been difficult to make decent pictures of !
As Always
Fred
Lutson Goudleder 
I apreciate the gilt leather, but I doubt the chairs are Portuguese; do you have any document of reference for the item? Best wishes!
Hi Franklin, well of course I have no evidence that the chairs are Portuguese, I was told so by the owners and when I checked the net for pictures of Portuguese baroque chairs, I found it plausible, so I decided to tag them as Portuguese. If you have suggestions, don’t hesitate i’m eager to learn and if en error has been made I correct it ! Take care and best wishes.
I hope you are doing fine ! Thank you for all the news you have been sending – last one I doubt the chairs are Portuguese…is there any evidence or document? Always writing in my short free time – articles and more pages for the gilt leather book; new inventories of the 16th century court and nobility. And soon to get the castle stamp in brass, for the Tomar embossed panel, out of a silver matrix. For a change of handwriting, I opened the oil box and picked few brushes – I have a guadameci painting to send you, could you give me the adress? Best wishes!! Franklin
Hi
Just wanted to take the time to say how blown away I was by the level of detail in your work.
I came across an image on Pinterest.
I restore and install Lincrusta which is a high relief wall covering that has been in production since 1877.
Apparently it was inspired by leather wall coverings.
Kind regards
Frank Holmes.
Hi Franck, thank you for your comment !